td5 coolant leak

[muddy4x4xfar]

so iv had this leak for a while now. the head gasket is fine. but the coolant level keeps dropping by about a litre , give or take, if i check it a week later its dropped by that much again, where would you guys recommend looking as in is there any common places that leak?

[Shackleton]

Hi mate. As a matter of interest, how do you know the head gasket is fine?

Try the little rubber pipe section between the heater pipe and oil cooler housing on the N/S at the back between the turbo and the block. That goes.

Then try the top coolant pipe elbow, the alu one with the temp sender in it, just behind the top of the fan. That goes like billyo.

The Disco Td5 does have a convoluted group of metal bottom pipes that tend to corrode from the inside out. It'd be worthwhile taking the thin plastic road shield off from under the car in the radiator/front chassis cross member area and having a good look around. You'll usually see coolant trails or clean patches if there's been any leaking.

The wiliest leak (on any engine) is the pin hole in a pipe that only fires a high pressure mist when under load, so totally undetectable at idle. The steam cleaned nearby patch of engine being one of the only possible clues.

The last place is the outlet hole on the bottom of the water pump. If the seals in the pump are going (as in if the pump is toast) then there'll be coolant, or the pink remains of coolant, in/around/outside the outflow hole on the housing it shares with the A/C. An inspection mirror and a torch will be your friends.

If you've been at the bottom drain plug, the dowty seal that goes on the plug is often toast and can weep. (I've mine sealed with Hylomar so if anyone knows the size of that dowty seal I'd love to know it - or how to measure a dowty)

[muddy4x4xfar]

Hi mate. As a matter of interest, how do you know the head gasket is fine?

Try the little rubber pipe section between the heater pipe and oil cooler housing on the N/S at the back between the turbo and the block. That goes.

Then try the top coolant pipe elbow, the alu one with the temp sender in it, just behind the top of the fan. That goes like billyo.

The Disco Td5 does have a convoluted group of metal bottom pipes that tend to corrode from the inside out. It'd be worthwhile taking the thin plastic road shield off from under the car in the radiator/front chassis cross member area and having a good look around. You'll usually see coolant trails or clean patches if there's been any leaking.

The wiliest leak (on any engine) is the pin hole in a pipe that only fires a high pressure mist when under load, so totally undetectable at idle. The steam cleaned nearby patch of engine being one of the only possible clues.

The last place is the outlet hole on the bottom of the water pump. If the seals in the pump are going (as in if the pump is toast) then there'll be coolant, or the pink remains of coolant, in/around/outside the outflow hole on the housing it shares with the A/C. An inspection mirror and a torch will be your friends.

If you've been at the bottom drain plug, the dowty seal that goes on the plug is often toast and can weep. (I've mine sealed with Hylomar so if anyone knows the size of that dowty seal I'd love to know it - or how to measure a dowty)

because its had a new head gasket recently and it was leaking well before that was done that would of been my first suspect too.

[muddy4x4xfar]

Hi mate. As a matter of interest, how do you know the head gasket is fine?

Try the little rubber pipe section between the heater pipe and oil cooler housing on the N/S at the back between the turbo and the block. That goes.

Then try the top coolant pipe elbow, the alu one with the temp sender in it, just behind the top of the fan. That goes like billyo.

The Disco Td5 does have a convoluted group of metal bottom pipes that tend to corrode from the inside out. It'd be worthwhile taking the thin plastic road shield off from under the car in the radiator/front chassis cross member area and having a good look around. You'll usually see coolant trails or clean patches if there's been any leaking.

The wiliest leak (on any engine) is the pin hole in a pipe that only fires a high pressure mist when under load, so totally undetectable at idle. The steam cleaned nearby patch of engine being one of the only possible clues.

The last place is the outlet hole on the bottom of the water pump. If the seals in the pump are going (as in if the pump is toast) then there'll be coolant, or the pink remains of coolant, in/around/outside the outflow hole on the housing it shares with the A/C. An inspection mirror and a torch will be your friends.

If you've been at the bottom drain plug, the dowty seal that goes on the plug is often toast and can weep. (I've mine sealed with Hylomar so if anyone knows the size of that dowty seal I'd love to know it - or how to measure a dowty)

sorry i forgot to say thank you for the information ill give it a look tomorrow thank you

[davie]

my defender leaked out of core plug hiding near exhaust manifold so i put in stop leak stuff to be cheap, that was 2 years ago and all good. a red cross 130 td5 i look at sometimes was loosing coolant in exactly same place and since it was an ambulance the local landrover specalist (not dealer) fixed along with a few other minor issues for a very good price.

first garage didnt find it cause they kept checking when hot, well near exhaust it had evaporated off! so best advice is park up on level ground for 24hrs and dont start it, then have a very good look for a lil puddle around manifold area, its a common leak. often you see a little staining on bellhousing from it running down.

good local independant place who doesnt want to sell you a new head but can sort core plug issue for soooooo much less bound to know about it.

you are entirely too far away for a proper look but look up greenbank 4x4 in aberdeen, scotland and explain, am sure they will offer advice and how to take photos to prove or not if this is issue. tell them that same guy who sent red cross 130 to them recommended them as most helpful.

[steve_a]

check for a weep from the fuel cooler if it has one as well, the front O rings appear to have a habit of leaking

[Tanuki]

On mine, the long rubber pipe that runs from the coolant-bottle T-piece to the front of the engine (under the intake manifold and beside the alternator) had been rubbing against the engine mount and wore a hole. There's now a properly secured length of 15mm stainless pipe there.

Also, I had a 'weep' from the coolant-pump/PAS pump relief hole. Initially I thought it was the bearing / seal in the coolant-pump but after a struggle to remove the thing I found the problem was actually one of the two rubber O-rings that seal the coolant-pump assembly into the housing.

Pump was fine: I replaced the 2 O-rings and the weep was gone.

[Shackleton]

the problem was actually one of the two rubber O-rings that seal the coolant-pump assembly into the housing.

Pump was fine: I replaced the 2 O-rings and the weep was gone.

I used Hylomar 3400 on the pump as well as the rubber seals, just for good measure. (high temp and goes off when in contact with metal)

[sierrafery]

Hi, just saw that, maybe it's bad news, it's possible to be a small leak which happens only with warm engine where the coolant evaporates instantly then you need this kit http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UV-Dye-UV-Torch-Kit-Leak-Detection-Dye-For-Cooling-Antifreeze-System-RLD2-Ring-/230723938073 , cos the dye will not evaporate but if no joy with it and you can't find any external leak then i'm affraid it's bad news... have had this problem myself and couldnt find the leak no matter what i did...the conclusion: it was a crack in the first inlet port of the head so the coolant was "consumed" by the engine, it was found only with head pressure test... new AMC head fitted and the coolant didnt drop 1mm in 3 weeks(around1000 miles).